WASHINGTON – October 10, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it has reached a $5 million settlement with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, the nation’s largest provider of home mortgage loans, resolving allegations that the lender discriminated against women who were pregnant, or had recently given birth, and were on maternity leave. Under its authority to enforce the Fair Housing Act, HUD has conducted an intensive campaign to end maternity leave-related lending discrimination. Since 2010, 190 maternity leave discrimination complaints have been filed with HUD, resulting in more than 40 settlements for a total of nearly $1.5 million, prior to today’s settlement

WASHINGTON – October 10, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that $24 million is being made available to certain qualified Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) to help residents increase their earned income and move toward self-sufficiency. HUD’s Jobs-Plus Pilot Program is designed to support work readiness and job placement efforts as well as connecting public housing residents with local employers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 1, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced more than $62 million to help more than 9,000 homeless veterans find permanent supportive housing. The rental assistance announced today is provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program which combines rental assistance from HUD with case management and clinical services provided by VA. See the local impact of the housing assistance announced today

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 25, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — In an effort to increase awareness of the Making Home Affordable® (MHA) Program’s free resources and assistance for struggling homeowners, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Ad Council today launched a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) as a part of their Foreclosure Prevention Assistance campaign

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 25, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — Sales of new single-family houses in August 2014 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 504,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  This is 18.0 percent (±16.3%)* above the revised July rate of 427,000 and is 33.0 percent (±21.7%)* above the August 2013 estimate of 379,000

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 25, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $17 million in grants to the owners of multi-family housing developments in six states to convert some or all of their apartments into assisted living or service-enriched environments for elderly residents (see attached list for grant recipients)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 25, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro today announced nearly $7.5 million in grants to help thousands of senior citizens and persons with disabilities to receive health care, meals, and other critical supportive services.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 22, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau today announced the following new residential construction statistics for August 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 22, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro joined U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan to announce a competition to designate a new round of Promise Zones. These Promise Zones are part of the President’s plan to create a new pathway to the middle class by partnering with local communities and businesses to create jobs, increase economic security, improve educational opportunities, and reduce violent crime

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 17, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it has reached an agreement with U.S. Bank National Association, U.S. Bank subsidiary Red Sky Risk Services, LLC (formerly known as USB Lending Support Services, LLC), and one of U.S. Bank’s loan officers, resolving allegations that they refused to refinance the mortgage of a Native American couple in Belcourt, North Dakota, because their property is located on a reservation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 17, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro today launched a $1 billion National Disaster Resilience Competition. He was joined by Dr. Judith Rodin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, in announcing that eligible states and localities can now begin applying for funds. Representatives from eligible communities will have the opportunity to attend Rockefeller-supported Resilience Academies across the country to strengthen their funding proposal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 26, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) today released a new national estimate of veteran homelessness in the United States. Data collected during the annual Point-in-Time Count conducted in January 2014 shows there were 49,933 homeless veterans in America, a decline of 33 percent (or 24,837 people) since 2010. This includes a nearly 40 percent drop in the number of veterans sleeping on the street.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 26, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — Sales of new single-family houses in July 2014 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 412,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 2.4 percent (±11.9%)* below the revised June rate of 422,000 and is 12.3 percent (±14.4%)* above the July 2013 estimate of 367,000.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 20, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it has charged Kent State University, in Kent, OH, and four of its employees with housing discrimination for refusing to allow a student with disabilities to keep an emotional support animal in her campus apartment

WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 19, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau today announced the following new residential construction statistics for July 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 18, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that Freedom Mortgage Corporation, a national residential mortgage lender based in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, will pay $104,000 to settle allegations that it discriminated against loan applicants with disabilities by requiring them to provide medical or other documentation regarding their disability.

WASHINGTON – August 12, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it has reached a Voluntary Compliance Agreement with the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM), resolving HUD findings the housing authority failed to comply with Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968. HACM agreed to change its hiring and contracting practices to increase hiring of public housing and other low-income residents, as well as contracting with businesses that employ low-income persons

WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 7, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — In celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released “Five Years of Learning from Communities and Coordinating Federal Investments,” a report demonstrating how the three agencies are cooperating to help communities provide more housing choices, make transportation systems more efficient and reliable, and create vibrant neighborhoods that attract business development and jobs while protecting the environment.

WASHINGTON – August 6, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced $7 million to 24 local public housing agencies across the country to help nearly 1,000 homeless Veterans find permanent housing.

WASHINGTON – July 23, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today agreements with the owners and managers of two Berlin, New Hampshire properties, settling allegations that they engaged in housing discrimination when they refused to rent to a woman who was a victim of domestic violence